


More than Equal

by QueenEgg



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Other, i love these two so much ill die in this canoe, very minor angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-11 23:31:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18434381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenEgg/pseuds/QueenEgg
Summary: “Lurien...am I your equal?” The question caught him off guard.“Are you my- of course you are, Osservá. In all things.” Shifting away from his telescope, Lurien watched them absentmindedly stare out into the distance, eyes fixated on nothing.“Do you think that I’ll be your assistant forever?”—Or, two recluses in a tower learn they're in love.





	More than Equal

**Author's Note:**

> /cries into the mic/ to all my fellow rarepair shippers this is for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sitting at his perch in front of his telescope, Lurien ignored the steadily growing burn in his shoulders as his awkward posture forced him to hunch over to gaze into the lens. With a slightly aggravated groan, he straightened up and stretched, wincing as his shell made a series of disconcerting noises when he extended his arms out.

“Sir?” Glancing back, he noted his assistant standing a short distance away, a tray laden with tea and food balanced in their arms. “You’ve been working for several days straight. You should rest-”

“Not now, Osservá,” Lurien wished he could take back the words the instant he said them, a sharp hiss escaping as he acquiesced despite himself. “Ah- I’m sorry, that was rude of me. You brought tea...” he said, apologetic.

To their credit, Osservá didn’t seem bothered at all as they beckoned him to the table where they sometimes shared meals.

A teacup was set in front of him with utmost care, with a small vial of honey and a plate of dewflower cakes following shortly after. It was only when he noticed they’d only set a place for him that he fixed them with a look of confusion. “Osservá...?”

“You haven’t been taking your meals, sir. I’ve been worried-” he held up a hand to stem their explanation.

“It’s not about that. You usually join me for such things. Come on,” he said, tenderly lifting up the teapot they’d brought up with them, “There’s enough here for the both of us.” To his chagrin, Osservá shook their head at his request.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly. You’re the one who's been working so hard as of late,” they explained, and Lurien carefully wrapped his fingers around their wrist before they could depart.

His pleading look had them stopping where they stood. “Please, if you won’t eat with me then will you permit me the pleasure of your company? It’s been some time since we were able to spend time together, Osservá, and I’d much enjoy hearing how life is treating you for the moment.” Lurien hoped his words didn’t sound too desperate as they gave him a slightly amused look before moving to sit at the opposite end of the table.

“Very well, but you’d best eat before my hard work goes cold,” they chided tenderly. As they began to speak, Lurien felt a smile make its way onto his face as he bit into a still-warm cake.

 

♩

 

“Sir, you really don’t have to do this-” Osservá’s hushed claims were quieted by Lurien’s hand settling over their mouth as he sat by their bedside. Or rather, his bedside, where they were currently tucked in.

“Nonsense. You’re feverish and officially under my care. It would be remiss of me to allow you to return home until you’re feeling well,” he said, smothering the last remains of the panic he’d felt when they’d attempted to bring his documents to him before promptly swaying and nearly falling over. Lurien had barely caught them, and the resulting distress over their well being lingered even as he brought them to his bedroom where they could rest. “I must say, this is unlike you, my friend.”

Osservá’s head barely lifted at his words, but he could see their faint glare in the candlelight, a smile making its way onto his face at the sight. “Perhaps my constant running across the city for the sake of your errands is finally taking its toll on me,” they said, somewhat teasingly. Lurien saw an opportunity and snatched it up, holding their hand between two of his own while he looked at them charmingly.

“Is that so? In that case, you’re free to stay here until you’ve recovered,” he breathed out, watching their eyes widen slightly before they averted their gaze pointedly.

“There’s- there’s no need, though-” Osservá’s face was flushed.

Smiling, Lurien gave their hand a final squeeze. “Oh, but I want to take care of you!” he practically sang it as he stood, watching the resignation settle into their shoulders before they gave him a fond look. “Please, I’ll even stay on top of your work as well. It’s the least I can do.”

“If you must...” they said, closing their eyes with a sigh. “Lurien-?”

He’d turned to extinguish the candles but paused at the softness in their voice. “Yes?”

“...Thank you.” It was enough to make him smile as he put out the flames, the room going dark.

“You’re welcome, my friend.”

 

♪

 

There’d been an incident.

Osservá was working when it happened. Lurien had only stepped out for an errand. He’d be back soon. They had no reason to believe anything was amiss.

Then the messenger arrived.

They left the Spire as soon as they finished reading the end of the document.

_ An accident involving the guard trainees. They hadn’t seen him passing by. The one who threw the spear said she hadn’t meant to- _

Their legs carried them to the barracks automatically, their mind consumed by static as they ran as fast as they possibly could.

He had to be alive-  _ he had to be. _ They would’ve told them if he wasn’t, and even if they thought he was, they had to be wrong. Please, please,  _ please, _ they prayed to the gods their parents told them of. Not the King, but the gods of storms, rain, wind, anything powerful enough to hear them-  _ keep Lurien safe, _ they begged.

“Who are you?” Osservá was stopped at the gate by a guard with scared eyes, his hands clutching his nail tightly, perhaps even tight enough to warp the metal with how he was gripping it. “There’s- there’s no visitors-” he stammered out, before Osservá forced themselves into composure.

“I’m the Watcher’s assistant,” they said, and the guard just about burst into tears as he beckoned Osservá to follow.

“Shiva wasn’t aiming for him- the range was occupied so we thought it’d be fine if they practiced at the city’s edge. Watcher Lurien-” his voice wavered, “he.. he must have not seen us, nor we him until Shiva already made her throw. Please- don’t blame her for what happened.” His gaze was pleading, and inside, Osservá wished they could scream at him. How could they not have seen Lurien? His travel robes reflected the city’s light so beautifully, ignoring how the edge of the more populated areas had fewer lanterns and more dark corners. They wanted to say the entire group of spear-throwers was banished, or even have them all executed for bringing harm to Lurien, and yet-

“I’m sure Master Lurien won’t be upset with her. Accidents happen, after all.” The words fell from their mouth like stones, their chest tight as they kept to the guard’s heels all the way to the infirmary.

“Thank you-  _ thank you,” _ he sobbed, before ushering them into the room.

The medic on hand seemed calm- that was good. If she was calm, then things couldn’t possibly be as bad as they thought they were.

“Are you...Osservá?” she asked, and they found themselves nodding, unable to force their voice to work, to ask if Lurien was okay. Thankfully, they didn’t have to.

When she guided them to a curtained off section, their heart sighed out with relief at the sight of Lurien asleep on a cot. The moment they noticed his chest was bandaged, the distress returned.

“Is he-?” they started, only for the medic to rest her claws on his shoulders.

“He’ll make a full recovery, be at ease. I am a very good doctor,” she hummed out, self-assured and oddly comforting. “Watcher Lurien was very lucky. Shiva has a strong throw, the spearhead went right through his shoulder, so we didn’t have to dig it out of him. It wasn’t large either- our training spears aren’t as heavy as the ones we regularly used. As soon as he wakes up he should be all right to return to the Spire, though you shouldn’t let him use that arm for at least a month or so.”

Osservá was distracted as soon as the words  _ ‘he should be all right’ _ reached him. Lurien would be fine.  _ He’d be fine. _ Holding in their tears, they moved to sit next to him, hesitantly setting their hand over his where it laid in the cot.

“...I’ll draw up a care regimen for you. Please take all the time you need.” They didn’t even notice when she left the room, their gaze focused on Lurien’s masked face. They were thankful- they’d left his mask on for him even when he was injured. They couldn’t imagine how upset he’d be if they’d all saw him without it.

“You fool... what were you doing, sneaking around in the back alleys of the Kingdom? What would I have done if I lost you?” they asked the silent room, voice trembling. Carefully resting their head against his side, Osservá let themself cry, not noticing the crushed remains of a few pure white petals clinging to Lurien’s palm.

 

♫

 

Lurien’s chest hurt.

Sitting up slightly, he blinked and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark.

“Osservá...?” Pushing himself up out of bed, he stepped into the next room and saw them asleep at the table, a pile of documents serving as a makeshift pillow for their head while they laid slumped over the carved stone. “Osservá- wake up-” he whispered, with his hand on their shoulder.

They blinked slowly, looking up at him. After a few moments, their eyes widened. “Master Lurien, I-” He hushed them before they could finish.

“It’s alright, my friend. It’s still night. Why were you up so late? Come, a bed is a better place to sleep than a table,” he said, and perhaps it was only his luck that they were still somewhat lost in the haze of sleep that meant there was no dissent as he guided them back to his room.

It felt like a mockery, knowing they would only let themself go in such a way when their mind was otherwise distracted by exhaustion.

Lurien had woken up alone, and when Osservá returned in the morning, they pretended nothing had happened.

Then, they crawled back into his bed that night. And the night after that, and after that-

Soon, he expected it- expected them to climb up onto the cushions after they’d both completed their work for the day. He expected them to curl against him, to clutch at him in the night, to sigh against his throat, enveloped in warmth and a feeling of closeness that he’d never felt with anyone else.

Now more than ever, he regretted letting himself get distracted on his way back to the Spire. The delicate flower he’d so painstakingly sought out had been destroyed when one of the guard trainees speared him on accident, and although he bore no ill will towards the individual in question, his immediate thought upon waking- with Osservá’s tear-marked face staring up at him -was distress.

Without that gift, he didn’t know how he could bring himself to admitting it to them.

The next time Osservá fell into bed with him, he waited until they were asleep before he wrapped his arms around them, holding tight. Pressing the lightest of kisses to their crest, he closed his eye and imagined what it’d feel like to be kissed back.

 

♬

 

“Lurien...am I your equal?” The question caught him off guard.

_ “Are you my- _ of course you are, Osservá. In all things.” Shifting away from his telescope, Lurien watched them absentmindedly stare out into the distance, eyes fixated on nothing.

“Do you think that I’ll be your assistant forever?” He stiffened at the inquiry, his hands grasping the trails of his robes tightly as he blinked in surprise. He’d never thought about what would happen if Osservá stopped being his assistant before. The idea never once crossed his mind.

“I... don’t know,” he admitted, crossing and uncrossing his legs as he turned to look out the window. “Why? Did something- do you.. want to leave?” he asked, hating how strained his voice sounded in the moment.

“What? No, I-  _ no. _ I wouldn’t, I can’t-” they said, before hurrying to his side. “Lurien- Lurien you know I’d never leave you-”

“Perhaps you should.” The words left him before he could think, and Osservá went still. There were tears welling up in his eye as he spoke. “Maybe I... maybe this place isn’t right for you.”

Their hands clutched at his cloak.  _ “How could you say that to me?”  _ He deserved their anger, but there was only panic in their voice as they moved to stand in front of him. “Lurien you know I came here to help you. Have I not done that?”

“But how long will you do it, Osservá? You’ve been my assistant for so long.. you do just as much work for this city as I do- if not more -without any of the recognition... Wouldn’t you like more? More than this place? More than me?” his voice broke even as they pulled him down into an embrace, their face against his shoulder.

“More than you?” the bewildered question was accentuated by how tightly they squeezed him before pulling away. “Lurien you’re my everything! I came to the city for you, I’ve been your assistant for years just to be close to you.. and you think me unsatisfied?” Lurien let out a whimper as they pulled him down to kneel on the ground so their face was closer to his- the light from outside the window reflecting against the translucent material of his robes.

“Aren’t you?” he asked weakly, only for them to scoff.

“No. Never,” they said, just as he moved to lift his mask on top of his head.

“You said you wanted to be my equal.” Osservá froze in his hold, their hands tentatively placed at his shoulders. “Was I wrong?”

The question hung in the air, accentuated by the sound of the ever-pouring rain from outside. Slowly, Lurien felt their fingers trail up his neck until they reached the sides of his face- unable to help himself from leaning into their touch, gentle as it was.

“No- no, you aren’t wrong, but... permit me this... I want to be more than your equal. I want to be  _ yours,” _ they said, and that warm spark in their gaze had him shuddering, his hands falling to their midsection while he cradled their head.

_ “Oh... _ well, why didn’t you say so sooner?” They only had the chance to laugh once before he met them in a sighing kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> hmu on my tumbl blog @raerengue and ill ship until i die!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> oh also this fic is based on a [draw i did for the last scene,](https://raerengue.tumblr.com/post/183634759816/you-said-you-wanted-to-be-my-equal-osserv%C3%A1) y eethaw


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